People are feared dead after a stampede-like situation broke out at the New Delhi railway station late on Saturday evening, triggering a chaos on platform numbers 14 and 15, officials said.
At least 15 people were injured in the incident, they added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said lives were lost in the incident.
'Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede,' Modi said in a post on X.
'Devastating news from New Delhi Railway Station. I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to stampede on Railway platform. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy of the injured,' Singh said on X.
Saxena said there was an unfortunate and tragic incident of 'loss of lives and injuries' due to 'disorder and stampede' at the station.
Official sources at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain (LNJP) Hospital said around 10-12 patients were brought to the facility.
"A few fatalities have also been reported though the exact number is yet to be confirmed. Most of the patients have sustained injuries requiring surgery or orthopaedic treatment," one of the sources told PTI.
Eyewitnesses said due to a huge rush at the station, several passengers got fainted because of suffocation.
In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said many people were present on platform number 14 when the Prayagraj Express train was standing at the platform.
The officer further said the Swantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.
"As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near escalator near platform no. 16," the DCP said.
The incident occurred around 9:55 pm, prompting an emergency response.
In a post on X, the LG said there was an unfortunate and tragic incident of 'loss of lives and injuries due to disorder and stampede' at the New Delhi railway station.
'My deepest condolences to the families of victims of this tragedy,' he said.
'Have spoken to Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner and asked them to address and redress the situation. CS has been asked to invoke DDMA measures and deploy relief personnel. All hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies,' he said.
One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, said, "I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers."
Another passenger, Pramod Chaurasia, said, "I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children."
Authorities immediately dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site to assist in the relief efforts, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said.
Initial reports suggest overcrowding due to train services for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj led to the situation.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay told PTI that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. The injured passengers were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a post on X that the situation at the station is now under control, Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have reached the spot and the injured have been taken to hospitals. Special trains are being run to tackle the sudden rush, he added.
A large crowd gathered outside the railway station, causing traffic congestion. Traffic police personnel were deployed to manage and clear the situation near the Montrose Bridge.
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